Complete and approachable manual on grape growing in Texas. Identifies the state's current grape growing regions and covers everything the commercial or home producer needs to know in order to have a successful vineyard.

An up-to-date guide for commercial and residential peach growers . . . With an estimated one million trees producing almost fifty million pounds of fruit per year, Texas is a leading producer of peaches, and several popular seasonal festivals highlight the widespread enjoyment of and interest in this delicious, versatile fruit. In addition, a recent rise of interest in edible gardens and home fruit production has led more people to think about planting a peach tree in the yard—or paying closer attention to the one they already have. Jim Kamas and Larry Stein, drawing from their many years of experience and the best current research, provide authoritative advice for those who want to improve peach production, whether in a large commercial orchard or on a single tree in the back yard. With discussions ranging from site selection to marketing ideas, Texas Peach Handbook covers the basics of peach cultivation—planting, pruning, fertilizing, watering, protecting, thinning, harvesting—and gives both instruction on disease and insect control and advice on the financial aspects of the peach business. The authors also direct readers to other, more detailed or technical sources, for those who want to learn more about a given topic. For its useful information and expert guidance, this how-to handbook will prove indispensable for anyone who grows, or wants to grow, peaches.

In this complete and approachable manual on grape growing in Texas, Jim Kamas asks the essential question all potential growers need to answer: Why do you want to plant a vineyard? Outlining the challenges and risks to all who think viticulture is a weekend hobby, Kamas then identifies the state’s current grape growing regions and covers everything the commercial or home producer needs to know in order to have a successful vineyard. Well-illustrated text offers chapters on site choice and design, rootstock and fruiting varieties, pruning and training strategies, canopy and floor management, and disease and pest control. Kamas thoroughly explores grapevine horticulture, including the systematics, morphology, nutrition, and water needs of the genus Vitus. Finally, he addresses the issues of equipment and infrastructure before closing with some advice about vineyard-winery relations. Kamas was trained as a student in the grape growing country of western New York by some of the “best viticultural minds” in the US, and grape and wine lovers from all parts of the country will find this book a valuable resource.

Originally published in the late 1800s, this is a delightful book on gardening that still contains much information of relevance to today's gardeners. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork Contents Include The General Management of the Garden Lawns,Paths,Beds,and Border On the Duty of Making Experiments Some Neglected but Handsome Plants The Conservatory and Greenhouse The Tool Shed and Summer House Roses and Aateurs Enimies of the Garden The Rockery Trees, and How to Treat them Shrubs The Inns and outs of Gardening The Profitable Portion Annuels and Biennials Window-Boxes Table Decoration The Propagation of Plants The Management of Room Plants Various Hints

Texas's 350-year wine story is still reaching its savory peak. Spanish colonists may have come to the state to spread Christianity, but under visionary Father Fray Garcia, they stayed and raised grapes. Later immigrants brought their own burgundy tastes of home, creating a unique wine country. When a North American pest threatened European vines, it was Texan scientist T.V. Munson who helped save the industry overseas. When Prohibition loomed stateside, Frank Qualia's Val Verde Winery in Del Rio survived by selling communion wine and is now the longest-operating bonded winery in the state. Today, tourists flock to Texas vineyards, and the state sells more wine every year. Join local experts Kathy and Neil Crain and sample the untold story of Texas's wine industry.

Interested in learning how to grow grapes? Ready to make your own wine? Then you will want to read on..... Believe it or not there are effective ways on how to grow grapes properly. And I give them to you within this guide. Here is just a bit of what you will discover within this guide - Grape Growing: A Beginners Guide To Discovering The Fundamentals Of Growing Grapes. * Selecting viable land for a vineyard. * Notes on using organic fertilizer. * Guidelines for limestone and nutrient application. * Preparing the vineyard for the planting season. * General guidelines for vineyard design. * Checklist for the Annual Care of Grape Vineyards. * Guidelines for Selecting Grape Cultivars. This guide is designed for those that are ready to learn about growing grapes for themselves and are looking for sound guidelines in getting started. Lets face it, if you do not understand the basic fundamentals for grape growing, then how might you even know where to start. Discover these basic fundamentals, apply them and be well on your way to beginning your grape growing process. Growing grapes can be a daunting task if you don't have the basic foundation on how to get started. Gaining knowledge and understanding of how to effectively grow grapes and care for them, will have you beginning your vineyard on the right foot. About The Author Having more than 25 do-it-yourself and self-help books in print, digital and audio format being sold worldwide, It brings me great pleasure to know I am helping someone, somewhere. Even if it is just one tiny little nugget, it is all worth it to me. So, here I am publishing information to the world for consumption. I hope whatever words your read of mine and in whatever format you choose to read them in, that they make a difference in your life. No matter how small or large that difference maybe, it will tell me (in a cosmic kind of way) that I have done my job...... Scroll up and grab a copy today.

First published in 1857, the Texas Almanac has a long history of chronicling the Lone Star State and its residents. The Almanac's 66th edition is printed in full color and includes hundreds of photographs from every region of the state. Color maps of the state and each of its 254 counties show relief, major and minor roads, waterways, parks, and other attractions. Each county map is accompanied by a profile outlining that county's history, physical features, recreation, population, and economy. Special features in the 66th Edition include: • An article on the birth of the Austin music scene and the influence on it by legendary musician Willie Nelson, written by Nelson biographer Joe Nick Patoski. The Austin music scene is recognized worldwide through Austin City Limits, the longest running music program on American television. • A history of the Civil War in Texas to mark the 150th year since the beginning of that conflict. Composed by Texana writer Mike Cox, the article highlights the unique aspects of the war in Texas, such as the Great Hanging at Gainesville and the Battle of Palmito Ranch. • Newly released 2010 population figures. • A complete history of voter turnout in Texas going back to 1866. • A history of professional football in Texas. • Comprehensive lists of high school football and basketball championships, Texas Olympians, and Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductees. The Texas Almanac 2012–2013 includes articles and data about: • history and government • population and demographics • the natural environment • sports and recreation • business and transportation • oil and minerals • agriculture • science and health • education • culture and the arts • obituaries of notable Texans • pronunciation guide to town and county names

Whether you have an apartment balcony or a multi-acre ranch, the Texas Wildscapes™ program provides the tools you need to make a home for all the animals that will thrive in the native habitat you create.

Brimming with fresh vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruit, the kitchen garden is a celebration of the seasons from deep roots in the South - at times being the difference between being well-fed or hungry. The kitchen garden has now become fashionable addition to urban, suburban, and country homes. The book contains a planting guide for a variety of garden examples, charts, is essential reading for all gardeners ready to produce food for their tables.

A garden-grown tomato, sliced and laid across a grilled hamburger . . . Sweet, plump cherry tomatoes in a crisp, green salad . . . Sauce made from fresh tomatoes, ladled over a steaming bowl of pasta . . . Spicy tomato salsa . . . Savory tomato soup . . . Is there any single vegetable as mouth-watering as the tomato? And yet, as thousands of people—tired of mushy, half-green, and tasteless tomatoes bought from supermarkets—have discovered, much more is involved in growing your own than simply putting a plant or two in the ground and expecting to harvest luscious tomatoes a few weeks later. William D. Adams draws on more than thirty years’ experience to provide a complete, step-by-step guide to success in the tomato patch. Growing good tomatoes requires a gardener’s attention to a variety of factors, and Adams begins by explaining the basics of soil preparation, planting, feeding, caging, and watering. He also outlines the pros and cons of standard, hybrid, heirloom, and cherry varieties, sharing tips about old favorites and suggesting new varieties. After the tomatoes are chosen, planted, and thriving under his tutelage, Adams prepares growers for the insects, diseases, and other visitors they are likely to encounter, warning that "gardeners are not the only ones that love tomatoes." He ends by offering a few words about “tomato kin folk” (peppers, eggplants, tomatillos, and potatoes), along with a source list of selected suppliers. Liberally sprinkled with the author’s easy humor and illustrated throughout with excellent photographs, The Texas Tomato Lover’s Handbook has everything you’ll need to assure a bumper crop, year after year.

Dubbed the Bulb Hunter in a 2006 New York Times feature story, Chris Wiesinger took his passion for bulbs to vacant lots, abandoned houses, cemeteries, and construction sites throughout the South in search of botanical survivors whose descendants had never seen the inside of a big-box chain store. The vintage specimens Wiesinger sought came from hardy, historic stock, adapted to human neglect and hot climates, reappearing faithfully over decades without care or cultivation. Traveling back roads, speaking to strangers, looking for the telltale color of a remnant iris or lily, Wiesinger started digging, then began trying to grow and share the bulbs he collected. From its humble beginnings on an East Texas sweet potato farm, his Southern Bulb Company has now grown into a full-fledged business known throughout the world, propagating and selling the rare, tough, heritage plants Wiesinger still seeks out and champions. Nicknamed “Flower” by his fellow cadets at Texas A&M University, Wiesinger relates his adventures in bulb hunting, telling stories of the bulbs he has discovered and weaving in his own life story as a student, plantsman, and small business owner. He then teams with veteran horticulturist William C. Welch to provide advice on how to grow and appreciate the bulbs that have been rescued and reintroduced. This “primer” gives gardeners information on what bulbs to grow where, when to plant them and when they bloom, and how to incorporate them with other plants in the landscape. Finally, Welch describes how bulbs have enhanced his personal gardens and brought him and Wiesinger together in the common cause of heirloom gardening. Entertaining, informative, and loaded with beautiful photographs, The Bulb Hunter is sure to be a favorite of gardeners and plant lovers everywhere.

New edition of a classic work on Southern heirloom gardening . . .Heirloom plants belong in Southern gardens. Tough and adapted, tried and true, pretty and useful, these living antiques--passed through countless generations--represent the foundation of traditional gardens as we know them today. Heirloom Gardening in the South is a comprehensive resource that also offers a captivating, personal encounter with two dedicated and passionate gardeners whose love of heritage gardening infuses the work from beginning to end. Anyone who wants to know how to find and grow time-honored and pass-along plants or wants to create and nurture a traditional garden is sure to find this a must-have addition to their home gardening library. Inside the book: New essays on naturalizing daffodils, slips and starts, and growing fruit; A completely updated and expanded heirloom plant encyclopedia;Revised plant lists (bulbs, cemetery plants, etc.) New material on the creation of two of the authors' personal gardens Building on the popularity of the original edition, this lively, entertaining, and informative new book from two proven experts will be enthusiastically welcomed by gardeners and horticulturists throughout Texas and the South.

These hard-hitting, heart-rending pieces, collected from L.A. Weekly, cover the continent's shadow from Brooklyn to Texas to Hollywood - & across to the shores of the Gulf War. More than comments on the 90's scene, they chronicle a civilization in agony. As media conglomerates & 'correct' academic experts dominate American discourse, Ventura's clear, no b.s. language, his ancient Sicilian passion & his courage to speak out have become crucial to the health of the body politic. "Michael Ventura's essays brilliantly diagnose our fin-de-siecle. These concise, elegant & somehow 'final' testimonies are the work of an uncompromising spirit. I was happy to share the wonder of his discoveries & felt the burden & strangeness of our generations peculiar 'job' as the millennium roars to a close."--Andrei Codrescu.

From planting vines to savoring the finished product, Jeff Cox covers every aspect of growing flawless grapes and making extraordinary wine. Fully illustrated instructions show you how to choose and prepare a vineyard site; build trellising systems; select, plant, prune, and harvest the right grapes for your climate; press, ferment, and bottle wine; and judge wine for clarity, color, aroma, and taste. With information on making sparkling wines, ice wines, port-style wines, and more, this comprehensive guide is an essential resource for every winemaker.

Interest in wine shows no signs of slowing down—wine tours, tastings, and vacations are now common and homeowners often have space dedicated to their collection. The logical next step? Learning to grow and make your own. In The Organic Backyard Vineyard expert Tom Powers walks the small grower through the entire process of growing grapes, with a month-by-month maintenance guide covering all regions of the U.S. and Canada. He explains everything a beginning grape grower needs to know: how to design and build a vineyard, how to select grapes for each region, how to maximize yield using organic maintenance techniques, how to build a trellis, how to harvest at peak flavor, and how to store grapes for winemaking.This edition includes organic growing information and all new photography.